UN Envoy Requests Yemen Fighters to Pull Out From Port of Hodeidah

January 29, 2019

On 28th January, the United Nations envoy for Yemen appealed to the conflicting parties of Yemen war to pull out their soldiers from the port of Hodeidah immediately. On the other hand, international aid agencies stated that situation for thousands of starving people were becoming worse rapidly.

UN Envoy Martin Griffiths admitted that suggested timelines on a withdrawal from the port city of Hodeidah, which is the main entry point for Yemen’s commercial and aid imports, had dropped while the nation stands on the verge of facing a famine. He added that the initial timeline were indeed formidable. However, they are presently dealing with even more complex situation on ground.

The aid agencies stated that in Yemen, the people are grappling to feed their children. According to the UN, Yemen has been growing through the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. Isabelle Moussard Carlsen, Director of Operations and who works for Action Against Hunger stated that aid is not only the solution to allay the suffering of the Yemeni people. She thinks that they need to reach a political solution to the conflict.

A compromise was reached last December between the Iranian-affiliated Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. It became the first crucial advancement in four years of battle which has killed tens of thousands of people through military actions or other factors. However, little progress has been made; thereby, risking the collapse of the peace endeavors.

The Houthis manage Hodeidah, and troops of a Saudi-led coalition are assembled on its outskirts. The conflicting sides are clashing over who should manage the city and port after forces pulls out. The ceasefire in Hodeidah has largely been honored since coming into effect a month ago, but altercation continues.

The coalition forces has twice tried to capture Hodeidah port since last year to compel the Houthis to negotiate, but feared that an assault would cause a interruption to supply lines that would trigger mass starvation.